Watching the news right now is absolutely surreal and heartbreaking. I used to live in Los Angeles, so seeing these photos and videos emerge of the city I love burning makes me feel sick to my stomach. And while USA Today reports that the causes of the largest fires are still under investigation, there are a few factors contributing to why they’re so difficult to put out.
First, the Santa Ana winds make these fires spread much faster than they would if winds were less strong in the area. Los Angeles is also notoriously dry and hardly ever sees rain. “The combination of low humidity, dry fuels and shifting winds has heightened the potential for spot fires and rapid expansion," Cal Fire shared in an update.
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Sadly, these fires have claimed much more than just homes and buildings. The Los Angeles County medical examiner reported that at least 10 people have lost their lives due to these fires, and it’s likely that many more have been injured.
Unfortunately, the LA fire department has shared that they are struggling to even find enough manpower to fight these fires. “We could use more firefighters. Fire Chief Crowley has been on record saying: We’re understaffed, we’re under-resourced. And that is something that people above my paygrade are having frank conversations and working on,” Captain Erik Scott says. He also noted that the department is now receiving over twice as many emergency calls as they were used to getting on a typical day.
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Because these fires are unpredictable, many residents are encouraged to evacuate, even if they believe that their home should be safe. “We’re not saying that to worry people unnecessarily, but I think with everyone seeing the amount of apocalyptic devastation that has transpired, I sure hope people, if anything, you remember this: If a wildfire is near your home, leave and leave early,” Scott shared.
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As devastating as these wildfires are, there are thousands of heroes working night and day to get them under control and allow Angelenos to return to their communities as soon as possible. California Governor Gavin Newsom has deployed the National Guard to LA County and is working around the clock to make sure the city has every resource possible to get through this.
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Aaron Samson was home caring for his 83-year-old father-in-law, who has Parkinson’s Disease, in the Pacific Palisades then they got an alert about the horrific wildfire.
While in traffic, Samson and his father-in-law were ordered to get out of the car as the flames were getting closer.
Samson helped his father-in-law down a hill to safety.
Residents of Los Angeles are also doing everything in their power to help one another and do anything they can to prevent devastation. As you can see from this list, actor Jamie Lee Curtis has pledged to donate $1 million to the relief efforts in California, and many have gone out of their way to safely evacuate animals.
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But she has not lost hope and said: "But I'm grateful because we're all alive. We all made it out". Support her and her family in the link under the photo.
If you’re wondering what you can do from your own home, wherever that may be, to help those affected by these fires, CBS News has reported that the American Red Cross is working to help those in need. The Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation is also taking donations to its wildfire emergency fund, and proceeds will go towards making sure that all firefighters have appropriate tools and supplies necessary to combat the current fires.
